Display container



1967 D. P. EBELHAHDT 3,334,733

DISPLAY CONTAINER Filed March 31, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

DAVID F! EBELHA RDT ATTORNEY Aug. 8, 1967 0. P. EBELHARDT DISPLAYCONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 31, 1966 IO u FIG. 3

("1 INVENTOR. 7

DAVID P. EBELHARDT w 77% FIG. 2

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,334,733 DISPLAY CONTAINER David P.Ebelhardt, Lake Forest, Ill., assignor to The Mead Corporation, acorporation of Ohio Filed Mar. 31, 1966, Ser. No. 539,202 4 Claims. (Cl.20644) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The display container as disclosedherein comprises a first compartment having front, back and side wallsfoldably joined along their side edges together with a secondcompartment having front and side walls disposed adjacent the front wallof the first compartment, the front wall of the first compartmentconstituting the back wall of the second compartment, bottom supportsstruck from the back wall of the first compartment and from the frontwall of the second compartment and suspended from the side walls oftheir .associated compartments and a cover means struck from the backwall of the first compartment and folded into overlying relation withrespect to both compartments, the cover means being disjointablyconnected with the article packaged in the second compartment.

This invention relates to a display container and more particularly to aunitary display package having at least two compartments for packagingand displaying at least two different primary packages having differentconfigurations.

Where two or more different products ordinarily consumed simultaneouslyor otherwise are logically interrelated, it is desirable to market suchproducts in such a way that the purchaser will be disposed to purchaseboth items.

A principal object of this invention is to provide a unitary displaycontainer having at least two compartments, each compartment beingconstructed and arranged to receive a different .primary package.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved displaycontainer which is simple in construction yet which forms a sturdyreceptacle for the primary packages to be displayed while at the sametime offering the prospective purchaser an advantageous and revealingview of the primary articles.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a simple, reliableand inexpensive display container which is particularly well adapted tobe constructed from a single blank of material.

The invention in one form is useful for displaying and packaging atleast two different primary packages and comprises first and secondcompartments each of tubular structure disposed in side-by-side relationwith at least one panel being common to both compartments, individualbottom supports for each compartment preferably suspended from theopposite walls of each compartment other than the common wall, and covermeans common to both compartments at least to the extent that securityis provided thereby against dislodgement of the primary packages out ofthe top of the container.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to thefollowing detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a displaycontainer constructed according to the invention and in which a pair ofprimary packages are disposed, the primary packages being for pancakemix and syrup; FIG. 2 is a vertical cross section taken through thearrangement of FIG. 1 approximately along the line designated 22 butwith the primary packages removed from the container; and

in which FIG. 3 is a plan view of a blank from which the structuredepicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 is formed.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the set-up container constructedaccording to this invention comprises a first compartment generallydesignated by the numeral 1 and a second compartment generallydesignated by the numeral 2. The first compartment comprises a back wall3 to the side edges of which a pair of side walls 4 and 5 are fold-ablyjoined along fold lines 6 and 7 respectively. Front wall 8 is foldablyjoined to a side edge 9 of side wall 4 and a glue flap 10 is foldablyjoined to the opposite end edge of front wall 8 along fold line 11.

In order to complete the tubular structure which constitutes the firstcompartment, the glue flap 10 is first folded up and toward the rightalong fold line 11 as viewed in FIG. 3. Thereafter, an application ofglue is made to the exposed surface of glue flap 10. Following thisoperation, the panel 4 is folded upwardly and toward the right along thefold line 6 so as to bring the glue flap 10 into registry with the righthand edge of side wall 5.

The second compartment generally designated by the numeral 2 comprises aside wall 12 foldably joined to side wall 5 along a fold line 13. FrontWall 14 of the second compartment is foldably joined along fold line 15to the side edge of side wall 12 while side wall 16 of the secondcompartment is foldably joined to the other end of front wall 14 along afold line 17. A glue flap 18 is foldably joined to side wall 16 alongfold line 19.

In order to complete the formation of the second compartment, the glueflap 18 is first folded upwardly and 7 toward the left along fold line19 and the exposed surface of glue flap 18 is applied with a coating ofadhesive. Thereafter, side wall 12 is swung upwardly and toward the leftalong fold line 13 so as to bring the glue flap 18 into fiat facecontacting relation with the front surface of front Wall 8 of the firstcompartment. When the carrier is set up following the formation thereof,the second compartment generally designated by the numeral 2 is disposedin front of the first compartment generally designated by the numeral 1.

Each of the two compartments is provided with its own support means.Thus, the bottom support for the first compartment comprises a supportstrap 20 foldably joined along its end edges 21 and 22 to a pair ofsupport webs 23 and 24 respectively. As is apparent from FIG. 3, supportweb 23 is struck from side wall 4 along a out line 25 and is foldablyjoined thereto along fold line 26. Similarly, support web 24 isseparated from side wall 5 along a out line 27 and is foldably joinedthereto along a fold line 28. Preferably, a medial fold line 29 isformed in bottom strap 20 in order to improve the flexibility there ofand thereby to facilitate the manipulation of bottom strap 20 when thedisplay container is set up. Of course, the support strap 20 is simplyfolded inwardly or forwardly relative to back wall 3 so that web panels23 and 24 are normally disposed when in set-up condition in generallyflat parallel relationship to their associated side walls respectively.Of course, the fold lines 21 and 22 are generally parallel to each otherand in general coincidence with the bottom edges 29 and 30 of theassociated side walls 4 and 5 respectively.

For the purpose of providing an additional separating means between thetwo compartments, a cushioning tab 8A is struck from front wall 8 and isfolded downwardly along its hinge line 8B. The flange panel 8C is foldedupwardly into a horizontal plane along fold line 8D and affordsreinforcement for the container.

As is obvious from the drawings and from the description above, bottomstrap 20 is in effect struck from the bottom portion of back wall 3 ofthe first compartment.

The bottom strap for the front or second compartment differs from thebottom strap of the first compartment in that the bottom support for thesecond compartment is struck from what amounts to the top portion of thefront side wall of the second compartment. Thus, bottom strap 31 isseparated from the front wall 14 along a out line 32 and is foldablyjoined at one end along a fold line 33 to side wall 12 and at the otherend along a fold line 34 to the side wall 16. As is apparent from FIG.3, the cut line 32 extends into the side wall 12 in a generallyangularly downward direction as designated at 35. In like fashion, theright hand portion of cut line 33 extends downwardly and into side wall16 along cut line 36.

When the display container is set up, the bottom strap 31 is disposed ina horizontal position and extends from the fold line 37 to a fold line38. It will be understood that the web panel defined by the cut line 35and by the fold lines 33 and 37 is disposed when in set-up condition ingenerally flat parallel face contacting relation to the inner surface ofthe end wall 12. In like fashion, the web panel defined by the cut line36 and the fold lines 34 and 38 is disposed in generally flat facecontacting relation to the inside surface of the end wall 16.

The portion of the bottom strap 2 which is horizontally disposed, i.e.,that which extends between the fold lines 37 and 38 preferably isprovided with a number of score lines 39, 40' and 41 so as to improvethe flexibility thereof thereby to facilitate manipulation of the bottomstrap.

Of course, the fold lines 42 formed in the end walls 12 and 16respectively serve a similar purpose but in addition these fold linestend to render the end panels 12 and 16 pliable and hence facilitatetheir conformability with the configuration of the adjacent outsidesurfaces of the primary package disposed Within the second compartment.

In order to form a cover means for the display container which unlikethe support means is common to both compartments, a cover strap 43comprising a transverse portion generally designated by the numeral 44is foldably joined along fold line 45 to a hinge panel 46 foldablyjoined along fold line 47 to the back wall 3 of the first compartment.As is obvious from FIG. 3, the cover means 44 is struck from the backwall 3 and is foldably joined thereto along the fold line 47.

Thus, as is best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the cover means 43 is swungoutwardly toward the rear and over and forwardly into a position inwhich the transverse portion 44 thereof overlies both packaged productsat least in part.

In order to interrelate the cover means 43 with the primary packagedisposed within the second compartment, an aperture 49 is formed withinthe end of the transverse portion 44 of the cover strap. Thus, the cap Cof the primary package, which as shown takes the form of a syrup bottle,is received within the aperture 49 and the aperture 49 and the lowerflanges thereof serve to inhibit the removal of both primary packagesfrom the display container.

From the description above, it is apparent that by the invention animproved display container is provided which forms a unitary package fortwo or more primary packages such as P and B and that the displaycontainer is so constructed as to afford a maximum view of the primarypackages P and B. Furthermore, the display container is collapsiblereadily when the bottom supports are folded upwardly and into positionsgenerally corresponding to those which they occupy in the blankfollowing which operation the second compartment may readily becollapsed by simply moving the front wall 2 toward the left as viewed inFIG. 1 so as to swing the end'wall 16 toward the left along the foldline 19 while simultaneously folding the end wall 12 toward the rightalong the fold line 13. Simultaneously, or in sequence, the side walls 4and of the first compartment may be folded generally toward the left,for example, along their respective fold lines 6 and 7. When so foldedthe container occupies a flat collapsed condition which is suit-able forshipment from the manufacturer of the container to the purchaser.

While the invention as shown in the drawings and as described herein isadapted for use with only two primary packages, it will be understoodthat another compartment similar to the second compartment could beformed to the left and alongside of the second compartment as shown forexample in FIG. 1 and a cover means for this third compartment could bestruck from the back wall 3 from that portion of the blank to the leftof cover means 43. By this means a package could readily be utilized topackage and display three primary containers. Furthermore, thearrangement disclosed in the drawings utilizes a number of flexing linessuch for example as 37, 38, 40, 39, 41,

42, 15 and 17. The arrangement of flexing lines shown is feasible forcertain applications of the invention, although it is not necessary forother applications to use the particular arrangement or number offlexing lines as are shown in FIG. 3. Of course, use of such lineslargely.

would be 'a matter of choice and suitability for particularcircumstances.

While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown anddiscussed herein, it will be understood that the invention is notlimited thereto and it is intended in the appended claims to cover allsuch changes and modifications as fall within the true spirt and scopeof the invention.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A display container for at least two different primary packages, saidcontainer comprising a first compartment having front, back and sidewalls foldably joined along their side edges to form a tubularstructure, a second compartment having a front wall and a pair of sidewalls in spaced generally parallel relation and foldably joinedrespectively to opposite side edges of said front wall, said side wallsof said second compartment being secured in spaced relation to saidfirst compartment so that said front wall of said first compartmentforms the back wall of said second compartment, separate bottom supportssuspended from the side walls of each compartment respectively, eachbottom support including a support strap struck from said back and frontwall of said first and second compartments respectively, and cover meansstruck from the back wall of said first compartment and foldably joinedthereto and arranged to overlie the primary package therein, said covermeans being disjointably connectable with an upper portion of theprimary package in said second compartment thereby to secure bothprimary packages against dislodgement through the top of the container.

2. A container according to claim 1 wherein said cover means comprises atransverse portion arranged to overlie the primary packages and a hingepanel foldably joined to one end of said transverse portion and foldablyjoined to said back panel of said first compartment.

3. A container according to claim 2 wherein said hinge portion isdisposed in flat face contacting relation along the rear surface of saidback wall of said first compartment and wherein the height of said hingepanel is approximately equal to the spacing of the fold line betweensaid hinge panel and its associated back wall and the top edge of suchback wall.

4. A container according to claim 1 wherein a cushioning tab is struckout of said front wall of said first compartment and folded downwardlyinto flat face contacting relation with respect thereto and wherein ahorizontal flange is formed along the part of said tab remote from thefold line connecting said tab and its associated front wall and whereinsaid flange is disposed in generally fiat face conatcting relation withsaid bottom support of said second compartment.

(References on following page) References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTSWebber 20647 Rufi' 20647 5 Reachi 20647 X Reachi 20647 McKinley 20647LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

1. A DISPLAY CONTAINER AT LEAST TWO DIFFERENT PRIMARY PACKAGES, SAIDCONTAINER COMPRISING A FIRST COMPARTMENT HAVING FRONT, BACK AND SIDEWALLS FOLDABLY JOINED ALONG THEIR SIDE EDGES TO FORM A TUBULARSTRUCTURE, A SECOND COMPARTMENT HAVING A FRONT WALL AND A PAIR OF SIDEWALLS IN SPACED GENERALLY PARALLEL RELATION AND FOLDABLY JOINEDRESPECTIVELY TO OPPOSITE SIDE EDGES OF SAID FRONT WALL SAID SIDE WALLSOF SAID SECOND COMPARTMENT BEING SECURED IN SPACED RELATION SAID FIRSTCOMPARTMENT SO THAT SAID FRONT WALL OF SAID FIRST COMPARTMENT FORMS THEBACK WALL OF SAID SECOND COMPARTMENT, SEPARATE BOTTOM SUPPORTS SUSPENDEDFROM THE SIDE WALLS OF EACH COMPARTMENT RESPECTIVELY, EACH BOTTOMSUPPORT INCLUDING A SUPPORT STRAP STRUCK FROM SAID BACK AND FRONT WALLOF SAID FIRST AND SECOND COMPARTMENTS RESPECTIVELY, AND COVER MEANSSTRUCK FROM THE BACK WALL OF SAID FIRST COMPARTMENT AND FOLDABLY JOINEDTHERETO AND ARRANGED TO OVERLIE THE